PITTSBURGH -- There were a few major trades on the first day of the 2012 NHL Draft, but it was definitely quality over quantity.

Only six deals in total were completed; surprisingly, only one involved strictly draft picks. Twenty-seven of the 30 first-round choices were made by the club that owned them at the beginning of the day.

PITTSBURGH -- The Penguins seized their moment in the spotlight as hosts of the 2012 NHL Draft.

On a wild night of fireworks -- both in the first-round selections and the trades that were consummated around those selections -- Pittsburgh was constantly at the forefront Friday at Consol Energy Center.

After playing the good host by allowing the Edmonton Oilers to make the night's first news with the selection of Nail Yakupov at No. 1, Pittsburgh seized the spotlight less than an hour later with a headline-grabbing trade of star center Jordan Staal, who was shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes for a first-round pick, center Brandon Sutter and a highly regarded prospect. The deal unites Jordan Staal with his older brother Eric, the Hurricanes' captain and top scorer.

The Bruins used their first-round pick at the NHL Draft to select Belleville Bulls goaltender Malcolm Subban with the 24th pick. That sets up a future confrontation with Malcolm and his brother, Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban -- who is booed lustily whenever he plays in Boston.

While future Christmas dinners may become a little awkward at the Subban house, Malcolm says there’s no point worrying about his relationship with P.K. suffering.

PITTSBURGH – Alex Galchenyuk wants to play in Montreal as soon as next season after being selected by the Canadiens with the third pick at Friday’s NHL Draft -- and he won’t be wasting any time in order to make it happen.

"I just got drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, there’s no vacations anymore," Galchenyuk said minutes after being selected. "I’ll be in the gym in a couple of days."

Galchenyuk, a 6-foot, 194-pound center, played with the Sarnia Sting last season but suffered a torn ACL in the preseason, limiting him to two regular-season games and a brief playoff run.

In spite of his lack of playing time, Galchenyuk was still the fourth-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. His eye-opening performance in physical testing at the NHL Scouting Combine appeared to put to rest many fears regarding his knee.

PITTSBURGH -- Perhaps it's fitting that in the 50th NHL Draft, a little history was made in the opening round.

When Andrei Vasilevski became the first goalie taken during Friday's opening round at Consol Energy Center, it marked the first time in draft history that a Russian goalie was the first off the board at his position. The Tampa Bay Lightning took him with the 19th pick.

"My feelings are only positive," Vasilevski, who sported a Lightning cap and jersey, told reporters through an interpreter. "I am very, very happy and I want to thank Tampa. It was not even my dreams to be the first goalie chosen."

PITTSBURGH -- Moose Jaw Warriors defenseman Morgan Rielly arrived in town for the 2012 NHL Draft unsure where he would end up.

WEAR WHAT THE DRAFTEES WEAR

In a draft considered deep in blueliners, Rielly had an extra strike against him due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee that limited him to just 18 regular-season games.

However, the Toronto Maple Leafs saw enough in that small window to take him with the fifth pick Friday, making Rielly the third of 13 defensemen picked in the first round. That matches the record set in 1996.

The run on defensemen started early, with three of the top five and eight of the top 10 players picked playing the same position.

Two picks later, the Montreal Canadiens selected forward Alex Galchenyuk, Yakupov's teammate with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. Yakupov and Galchenyuk are the fourth set of teammates to be selected among the top three picks in an NHL Draft.

PITTSBURGH -- Nail Yakupov of the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting did his best to remain calm, cool and collected as he sat behind the podium to face the media for the first time as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.

WEAR WHAT THE DRAFTEES WEAR

He excelled at that too. When asked which players he would prefer to play with whenever he does make the big club, the 18-year-old right wing said "with all my team."

Yakupov became the first Russian-born player selected No. 1 overall at the NHL Draft since Alex Ovechkin went to the Washington Capitals in 2004 when Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini announced him as the team's top choice on Friday at Consol Energy Center.

"Edmonton is a great city and crazy town for hockey … it's a hockey town and I play hockey and I just want to play my best hockey," Yakupov said.

One would assume Tambellini just couldn't imagine denying his loyal fan base a top line that could give opposing coaches gray hairs for years to come.